Foreign residents double in Portugal as Madeira records historic surge

foreign residents Portugal immigration Madeira demographic surge housing demand shift Venezuelan community

Portugal’s resident population rose by about 825,000 between 2021 and 2025, driven largely by immigration. The number of foreign‑born residents reached 1.6 million in 2025, representing 14 % of the total population, with Brazilians forming the largest group.

In the autonomous region of Madeira, foreign residents more than tripled, climbing from 7,423 in 2021 to 19,371 at the end of 2025 – a 161 % increase and 7.3 % of the regional population. The Funchal municipality alone housed over half of these residents. The Venezuelan community became the most sizable, followed by Brazilian, Nepalese, German and British nationals.

A concurrent housing‑market study shows that foreign buyers are increasingly looking beyond Lisbon, with Porto now leading searches (5.4 % of queries), followed by Braga (4.3 %) and Aveiro (2.1 %). This broader geographic interest reflects a shift toward regions offering a mix of quality of life, affordability and investment potential.